Micro-entrepreneurial motivations in Ghana: Do Muslims differ?

Abstract

The study sought to establish if Muslim entrepreneurs differed in their entrepreneurial motivations compared with entrepreneurs of other faith. The study utilized secondary data from the poor localities in urban Greater Accra region of Ghana. A regression analysis is used to establish the relationship between the dependent variables and the Muslim dummy and other independent variables. The study finds that Muslim entrepreneurs compared to those of other faith are less likely to engage in entrepreneurship for profits or self-employment in the study area. Decomposition analysis reveals that the profit motive of Muslims is constrained by their endowments or characteristics but enhanced by unexplained factors which may be the religion effect. The study contributes to the entrepreneurship literature by analysing the role of religion in determining entrepreneurial motivations in an African country.